#101: Eliza Reid — Writing Fiction & Nonfiction as Iceland’s First Lady

The First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid on her writing habits, her creative life and why the Iceland Writers’ Retreat is a perfect place for writers.  

We also discuss her fiction and nonfiction, navigating self-doubt, being tenacious with time and how she balances her responsibilities as a writer with her role in public service.  

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ABOUT ELIZA REID

Eliza Reid is a journalist, editor, and cofounder of the annual Iceland Writers Retreat. Eliza grew up in the countryside near Ottawa, Canada, and moved to Iceland in 2003, five years after winning a student raffle for a date with the man who became her husband, Gudni Jóhannesson. When he took office as president of Iceland on August 1, 2016, Eliza became the country’s First Lady. In that capacity, she has been active in promoting gender equality, entrepreneurship and innovation, tourism and sustainability, and the country’s writers and rich literary heritage. Being the spouse of the head of state is an immense privilege, full of surreal and wonderful experiences. Eliza has been candid about the role, which is an unofficial position with no job description, penning a lauded op-ed in the New York Times and delivering a TEDx Talk on the topic. Her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar, was an instant bestseller in Iceland and Canada, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick, and was recommended by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Margaret Atwood and many others. 

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RESOURCES & LINKS

• 📄 Interview Transcript (unedited)
• Iceland Writers Retreat
• Secrets of the Sprakkar 
• LWS Members Discount Code for 10% off the Iceland Writers Retreat
• Icelandic Saga Database
• Eliza’s 2019 opinion piece in the New York Times, I’m a First Lady, and It’s An Incredibly Weird Job 
• Eliza on Instagram
• Eliza’s forthcoming novel, Death of a Diplomat

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